Metallic rail-tie.



PATENTBD NOV. 24, 1903.

H. I. JEFFERS.

METALLIC RAIL TIE.

'APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 16,1903.

NO MODEL.

' //v VENTOH firm/y 14/47/1 2 WITNESES A TTORNE UNITED STATES PatentedNovember 24, 1903 PATENT @EEICE.

HARRY IRWIN JEFFERS, OF ANNISTON, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOWILLIAM THOMAS DAWKINS, JR, OF ABERDEEN, MISSISSIPPI.

M ETALLIC RAIL-Tl E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,282, dated November24, 1903.

Application filed June 16, 1903. Serial lilo. 161,720. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY IRWIN J EEFERs, residing at Annistou, in thecounty of Calhoun and State of Alabama, have invented a new and ImprovedMetallic Rail-Tie, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that type of metal rail-tiescomprising a base or chair portion formed of a metalbody having meansfor fixedly joining with an ordinary cross-tie and integral guide orclamp members to engage and interlock with the base-flange of the rail;and the said invention seeks to provideasimple,inexpensive, andeffectively-acting rail-tie and chair of the kind stated which can beconveniently applied for use to join the opposing rails and clamp themrigidly in place from lateral or longitudinal play without the use ofspikes.

With the above objects in view and others to be hereinafter explained myinvention comprehends a chair or base member formed from a single metalbody having integral clamps for fitting over the outer base-flange ofthe rail, an integral longitudinal flange,

and pendent flanges for penetrating the ordinary wooden tie or forconveniently anchoring directly to the road-bed, a peculiar constructionof metal cross tie or link member being also included for joining a pairof opposing chair or base members of my design having a specialconstruction of end portions for conveniently sliding the same laterallyinto an interlocked connection with the lock- 5 ing-flanges of the saidbase or anchoring members.

In its more subordinate features my invention consists in certaindetails of construction and peculiar combination of parts, all of whichwill be hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in theappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of atrack-bed andrails with my improvement applied. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the sameon the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of thebase or anchor chairs. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the metallic crosstie or link members. Fig. 5 is a view of a slightly-modified arrangementof my invention, and Fig. G is a detail plan view hereinafter referredto.

In the practical construction of my invention the same comprises a chairor anchoring base portion A, cast or otherwise formed of metal andpreferably square in shape, with pendent flanges a a on one or more ofits edges, whereby when the said base member Ais used on the ordinarycross-tie B, as shown in Fig. 5, the said base member A should penetratethe tie B transversely and the flanges a overlap the edges I) b of saidtie, as shown.

When the member A is intended to be used directly on the road-bed, theflanges a a are made of sufficient length to serve as effectiveanchoring members, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The member A has a plurality of clamps or claws a 03 in longitudinalalinement, which are struck up or otherwise formed on the top portion ofthe member A, and they are pro- Vided to fit over and clamp upon theouter flange member 0 of the rail C, and the ends of the claws a arethrown up to form vertical flanges c c to bear against the web oi? therail, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The top portion of the member A at its innor end has a back-turnedlocking-flange a, which is also struck up or otherwise formed as anintegral part of the said member A, and the said flange a is disposed inadvance of the edge of the inner flange of the rail to provide alongitudinal space X between the said rail-flange and the locking-flangea for reasons presently to appear.

As will be readily seen in Fig. 2, the locking-flange and the outer edgeof the adjacent rail-flange are in substantially the same hori- 9ozontal plane, such arrangement of parts being provided to permit of afree endwise insertion of the ends of the metallic cross-tie or link D,preferably of pressed steel, whose opposite ends are bent inwardly toform transverse hook members (1 and bent back upon themselves to provideflat bearing portions cl to lie flatwise on the top of the member A, andthe said portions (1 are bent up to form transverse clamping or bearingshoulders d to engage the adjacent rail base-flange, and the shoulderedportions are extended, as at d, to fit snugly on the upper face of thesaid base-flange, their inner ends terminating in vertical flanges (1adapted to bear against the web of the rail, as shown.

By reason of the peculiar construction of the parts as shown anddescribed it will be readily apparent the memberAcan be quickly andconveniently anchored either onto an ordinary wooden cross-tie or to theroad-beds and after its claws a have been fitted onto the rail-flange orafter the rail-flanges have been inserted into an interlocked engagementtherewith.

After the plates A at the opposite sides of the track have beenconnected with the outer flanges and the rail-bases the said plates Aare locked together by simply slipping the cross tie D into a lockengagement with the plates, which is done by sliding the locking endsthereof endwise onto the locking-flanges a on the inner portions of themembers AA.

The metal ties or lint: members D can be retained in place byballastingor by compressing the interlocking portions of the said membersD and thelocking-flanges a which is convenientlydonebyhammering,itbeingunderstoodto disconnect the parts it is necessary to strike the ends of the tie Dto slip the same from engagement with the flanges or.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the advantages of my invention are thought to beapparent.

It will be noticed that spikes,bolts, the, are not required to hold theseveral parts in a proper operative condition, and the construction ofthe said parts are such that they can be cast, pressed, or bent out andwith the interlocking portions of such design that they can be readilyinterengaged without the necessity of providing special implements for(icing so. i

To provide for positively holding the tie D from being driven off orbeyond the clamps (L5, the latter are disposed diagonally with respectto the coincident edge of the rail-flange, (see Fig. 6,) whereby toprovide a wedgedshaped space between the said clamp and the rail-flange,such arrangement of the clamp a also providing for tightening the tie incase of wear, which can be readily done by wedging said tie. To preventthe tie working loose-that is, off the end of the clamp (4 over which itis entered-the outerend of the said clamp is slitted diagonally, as at5,whereby to provide an upturned flange or stop 5 for locking the tiefrom working forward, it being manifest that by reason of the diagonalslit 5 as the tie D is drawn farther in to take up wear the stop can bebent farther up, so its inturned edge will always bear tightly againstthe said tie. Furthermore,

said ing 5 cannot be bent up to the desired plane without forcing thetie inwardly to a wedged position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A rail chair and tie; comprising a metal plate having pendentportions for entering the tie or road-bed, an integral claw for engagingwith one flange of the base of the rail, an inturnedlongitudinally-extendedlockingfiange at the other end and a metal tie ordrawinglink having a transverse turnedback locking-hook adapted to enterinto a sidewise engagement with the aforesaid locking-flange, the end ofthe said tie also includ ing a portion adapted to lie flatwise on themetal chairor plate, a shoulder for engaging the outer flange of therail and a vertical end portion to engage the web of the said rail, asspecified.

2. In a rail tie and chair of the character described; the combinationwith the rail; of a metal plate having a pair of longitudinal alinedintegral claws at one end adapted to clamp on the rail baseflange at oneside, a back-turned longitudinal locking-flange integral with the plateat the other side of the rail and disposed away from the adjacent railbase-flange,and a metaltiehavingan inturned transverse hook, a depressedportion adapted to seat in the space between the lockingflange and theadjacent railflange, and having its outer end formed to bear on the saidrail-flange and against the web portion of the rail, said tie beingarranged to slip sidewise into a locking engagement with the backturnedlocking-flange on the bed-plate, as specified.

3. Asan improvement in rail chairs or tics of the character stated; thecombination with the plate A having pendent portions for penetrating thebase-tie or road-bed, said plate having a pair of integral claws at theouter end for engaging the outer base-flange of the rail, alongitudinallyextended integ'ral inturned locking-flange at the innerend, said flange having its end slitted whereby to provide for turningup the end vertically with respect to the body of the saidlockingiiange, and a metal tie having a transverse hook portion on itsunder side to slide under the locking-flange and having its end formedto clamp against and over the inner base-flange of the rail and againstthe inner face of the rail-Web, all being arranged as shown anddescribed.

HARRY IRWIN JEFFERS.

Witnesses:

K. WATSON, L. SIMMONS.

